She would return to Ulatos. If the strangers sailed up the coast, this would be the first city they encountered. She would get there first and offer her abilities as a translator. Then she would do everything she could to prevent a war.
'Now I — we — must go.' The man called Captain Halloran looked at her with a certain sadness in his face. Once again she bravely met his gaze. Indeed, he had begun to look less horrid than she had first thought. His pale blue fish eyes still unsettled her, and he, like all of these strangers, seemed surrounded by that unpleasant odor. Obviously bathing would be difficult on the strangers' great flying houses. No doubt they would resume normal human hygiene now that they had landed.
She looked up at his genuine smile, his tall, powerful form. He was the most magnificent warrior she had ever seen. True, Erix had never been one to be swayed by the prowess of a fighting man, but never before had a warrior saved her life. And every one of his acts seemed tempered with honor and decency.
'I will show you the way back to Twin Visages,' she offered. They stepped from the verdure onto the gravelly coastline, and she turned to the right. 'There, perhaps one or two hours from here.'
'Where will you go?' asked Hal, looking at the long stretch of stone and jungle.
'I journey there.' She pointed to the left. 'To the city of Ulatos, heart of the Payit lands.' She did not add her fears of war, nor her thoughts of prevention.
'I wish you a safe journey,' he said, bowing. 'Perhaps we will meet again.'
She looked at him with humor. 'I think perhaps we will!'
He did not understand, and she pointed past him. Daggrande groaned as they looked out to sea, and Halloran's heart sank. All of his fears came back. He was stranded on a distant shore!
Fifteen sets of sails jutted above the horizon. The legion sailed along the coast, headed in their direction. But the ships were too far from shore for the pair to have any chance of hailing them as they passed.
The wind cooperated splendidly, carrying the fleet seaward, beyond any shoals that might have lurked around the headland of Twin Visages. After they had safely passed from the lagoon into the deep sea, the breeze shifted, gently ushering the caravels and carracks along the luxuriant vista of this new shore.
Cordell watched the tangled jungle press forward to the sea, and he guessed that they passed a river delta. Indeed, dozens of canoes darted back and forth through the lush greenery, and he knew that the natives of this land observed them as they sailed westward.
'These are puzzling people,' remarked the captain-general to Darien. The pair stood alone atop the raised afterdeck of the Falcon. The elf woman's hood was pulled completely over her head in order to protect her skin from the blazing afternoon sun. 'In many ways savage, yet they show organization and considerable energy.'
'I suspect our Bishou's notion of their godlessness is mistaken,' said Darien.
'Whether they're led by gods or sorcerers, or both,' vowed Cordell, 'they will come to regret the impetuous attack on my men!'
After the delta, a line of hills rose from the river valley. In the shelter of these hills, almost as if the land extended an encircling and protective arm, the Golden Legion found its anchorage. The shore along the bay was smooth and grassy, with numerous villages and small temples scattered among the fields.
The canoes of the natives maintained a constant vigil as the caravels dropped anchor. Here longboats probed the shore, and soon the reports reached Falcon: The anchorage was deep, the shore firm and suitable for the debarkation of horses and men.
The Bishou climbed to the deck as Cordell gave the order to move the ships closer to shore. The cleric had grieved loudly over the death of his daughter, but now he approached the general with a quiet, grim look.
'Helm in his mercy has given me a sign,' explained the Bishou abruptly.
'Indeed,' answered Cordell cautiously.
'You need a commander for the lancers, since Halloran has disappeared.' The Bishou glowered.
'Yes… I have had some thoughts on the matter.'
Domincus shook his head. 'Helm has shown me directly that he desires Captain Alvarro to take command.'
Cordell tried to suppress a grimace. The Bishou often used 'visions from Helm' to urge the general to follow some course of action he knew was not entirely agreeable to Cordell. Naturally the commander needed to consider the opinions and suggestions of his spiritual adviser, and Domincus often took advantage of the fact.
'I was thinking of someone a bit older, more seasoned. Alvarro can be somewhat… impetuous,' began the captain-general, but the Bishou interrupted.
'It must be Alvarro! I have seen this!'
Cordell did not want to antagonize his old comrade at this stage of his mourning, nor could he risk the demoralizing effect a public argument might have upon his legionnaires. He knew Alvarro to be a brave and dashing horseman, albeit a trifle rash. He had a reputation as the best swordsman in the legion. The general finally overcame his objections. 'Very well. Captain Alvarro shall have command of the lancers.'
'They gather their flying houses in the lagoon,' explained Gultec. He breathed heavily, for he had just returned to Ulatos from a hurried reconnaisance.
'Excellent!' Caxal declared, beaming. The Revered Counselor had come more and more to relish the coming clash with the invaders, almost to the point of what Gultec considered rashness.
'Now you must take the warriors down the plain and await them above the shore. Allow them to land before you attack.' Caxal gave his instructions quickly.
'Perhaps, my counselor, we should conceal a portion of our force in the trees along the delta,' suggested Gultec. 'I remember all too clearly the fighting prowess of these warriors. We would do well to hold some of our troops in reserve for a surprise attack.'
Caxal fixed Gultec with a darkly suspicious look, the implications of which caused the Jaguar Knight's blood to boil. 'Do you fear these warriors, Gultec?' The counselor's voice was smooth, unusually considerate, but the question was a mortal insult to a captain of Gultec's stature.
Once again all his emotions urged him to turn on his heel and leave the presence of the Revered Counselor. Yet thoughts of destiny, of the historical importance of this moment, held his rage in check.
'I will personally lead the warriors across the field,' Gultec agreed stiffly. 'We will meet the invaders at the shore.'
The Bishou smoldered in his cabin as the fleet swung easily at anchor. In his rage, he had abandoned his slave on the shore below Twin Visages. He only spared her life after Cordell intervened on her behalf, reminding him that Helm's vengeance should be directed at those responsible for evil, not its innocent victims.
Now Cordell and Alvarro stood on the raised deck of the Falcon and observed with anticipation the flat plain beside the river delta. The jungle shore was gone here, replaced by golden fields of the tall, plump grain these natives tended. 'Mayz,' the islanders had called it.
'Yes, captain-general, I understand. I will command the horses well!' Alvarro beamed, his widely spaced teeth standing like scattered tombstones in a cemetery. The sun caused his red hair to blaze like firelight.
'And may I say, sir, that you will not regret your choice. That young fellow, Halloran, was simply too green to — '
'Enough!' snapped Cordell. 'Go back to your ship. Be prepared to debark the horses after nightfall.'
'Yes, sir!' Alvarro couldn't conceal his delight as he turned away. His eyes drifted idly over the verdant shore less than a mile away. Was Halloran still alive there? Alvarro belched, not really caring.
Darien joined Cordell as Alvarro stepped into the longboat beside the Falcon.
'See how that ridge of land encircles us here?' said the commander. 'I think we've found ourselves a splendid anchorage!' All soundings indicated a good depth below them, even though their ships were anchored within a few hundred feet of shore.
'Look there.' The general pointed to his elf woman. 'Those are man-made structures rising above the trees.'
Indeed, the pyramids of Ulatos were in plain view from their anchorage. The tangled swamps blocked the delta below the town, but less than a mile to the west beckoned a broad savannah of grass and mayz.
'The Bishou will be pleased,' said Darien, with a sly, private smile.
